"Why," said the clergyman, "what can I do for you?"

"Well," replied the man, "I've brought a grain-wagon full of children that I'd like to have baptized. Of course, if you can't do it now we'll try to come some other time, but there's eight of 'em, and it's something of a job to get them here." "Of course I will have the baptism," said the missionary, and calling back the congregation he announced the administration of the Sacrament.

But even as he did so a grave question presented itself. He had not come prepared for such an emergency, and there was neither dish nor water in the deserted house. What should he do? Calling the faithful layman who had driven him out from Walhalla, the dilemma was put before him, and he was asked to take another man with him and see what he could find, while the missionary made. other necessary preparations. They were resourceful men, but what could they do? The nearest house was far away, and the night was coming on.

Hoping to come upon some dish which would hold water, they searched about the house in ever-widening circles, until

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at last they were rewarded by finding a tin can that had once held canned salmon. They made it as presentable as possible, but the hardest problem remained to be solved-the securing of water. Further search revealed an abandoned well, but without pump or other means of raising the water. It was then they remembered an old wash-boiler, full of holes, which they had found in their previous search and passed by as useless. While one returned for this and poked sticks into the larger holes, the other secured straps from the harness of one of the teams, and together they lowered this improvised bucket. Twice they dipped and drew it hastily to the top, only to find that every drop of water had escaped them; and it was not until the third attempt that the pint salmon can was filled.

Meanwhile, within the house the missionary had made ready for the service. The children were ranged in order, beginning with the eldest, of eighteen years, and terminating with the youngest, of three, in a line stretching across the room from wall to wall. And there, in the abandoned house on the lonely

prairie, with instruments whose crudity will seem to some almost shocking, this entire family were baptized into Christ, with as much solemnity and dignity as though the walls of a cathedral had stood about them, and a golden bowl with crystal water had been the means employed.

I wish you might have seen the happiness of that father and his family as he loaded them into the wagon in the gathering dusk for their long ride home. It is a pity that no camera was at hand to reproduce the scene for us.

Since then seven other children have been baptized in that same log housethough not in the same fashion, for the missionary, warned by this experience, was better prepared.

But must we not be thankful that there are men who are glad to minister in such ways and under such difficulties, to the scattered children of the Kingdom? Shall we not be ashamed if we, with our comfortable churches and stately services, do not help to sustain such effort with earnest prayers and loving gifts?

TH

HE Right Rev. George E. Moule, D.D., the English Bishop of Mid-China, who has resigned his see after a residence of about fifty years in the empire, tells of an interesting experience he once had with some English business men living in Shanghai. He was dining with a number of them at a friend's house. The conversation turned upon the Church's work among the Chinese. Without a single exception, these English merchants scoffed at the idea that anything of value was being done or that any permanent influence could be exerted upon the life of the Chinese. The bishop quietly asked how much the objectors knew of what was actually being done? One by one they admitted a rather surprising lack of acquaintance with mission stations and missionaries.

"As Englishmen," said Bishop Moule, "I know you believe in fair play. Are you willing to look into the facts a little? Thursday is a day when there are no foreign mails coming or going, and when even the busy man can get away for an afternoon. Will you join me for the next six or seven Thursday afternoons on a tour of inspection among some of the missions in Shanghai?"

This programme was agreed to. One Thursday the bishop led his friends out to St. John's University. There they saw the educational work of the American Church Mission, and learned the

significant fact that St. John's is reaching young men from all but one or two of the eighteen provinces of China. Another week some of the evangelistic work was inspected and these English business men were made acquainted with the method of meeting Chinese in the church guest-rooms and answering their questions about the Christian doctrine. The third expedition was made to St. Luke's Hospital, where so much is done to care for Chinese injured in the manufacturing establishments which are multiplying so rapidly in Shanghai under the impetus of foreign enterprise. Another time a tour was made among some of the smaller village out-stations within a few miles of Shanghai, where the evangelistic work among the people and the simple day-school work among the children was inspected.

So the weeks went on until, in accordance with their agreement, the same company of gentlemen met again for dinner to compare notes and render their verdict. They had only one statement to make. They asked Bishop Moule's pardon for their previous indifference and criticism, admitted that they were based on an almost total ignorance of the facts, and said that what they had seen under his leadership convinced them that the Church's work for the Chinese was real in character, sensible in method, and productive in results.

I

MID-DAY PRAYERS FOR

MISSIONS

N view of the fact that the mid-day

hour is to many a time for a hurried lunch rather than for quiet, Bishop Hare put forth for use the following "Grace before Meals," which includes in its language a prayer for missions.

"Thanks be to Thee, O Lord. Feed the hungry, and grant that all men, everywhere, may seek and find the Living Bread which cometh down from Heaven. Amen."

The secretary of the Woman's Auxiliary in the Indian deanery in South Dakota thought it would be a good idea to put this grace into the Indian language and circulate it amongst the Indian women, with the request that they would commit it to memory and use it. This has been done. In the Indian tongue it appears as follows:

"O Itancan, wopida unnicupi. Wotekdapi kin wodwicaya ye, qu wicasa owasin, maka sitomniyan, Wiconi Aguyapi ni un Mahpiya eciyatanhan hi kin he odepi qa iyeyapi kta e iceunniciyapi. Amen."

no desire to absorb money which is needed for the doing of the work. But there is a great deal of truth in the advice of a former rector of St. Luke's Church, Rochester, N. Y., who used to tell his people that if they thought they had but one dollar a year to give for missions, he would prefer to have them use it in subscribing for THE SPIRIT OF MISHe had no hesitation in saying that the reader of the magazine would learn to give much more than one dollar a year when once the mission field facts were known.

SIONS.

IF

།

THE CONVERTING POWER OF MIS

SION STUDY

F people cannot be "interested in missions" in one way they may be in another. This letter tells how the thing was done in one case:

Enclosed please find a subscrip-
tion for THE SPIRIT OF MISSIONS, to
be mailed to Mrs.
Mrs.
was induced to write a paper on
Foreign Missions, to be read at a
regular meeting of our Auxiliary,
and became so interested as she
read on that now she is ready for
anything. For years she opposed
foreign missions.

This experience is not unlike that of the San Francisco business man who some time ago was asked to write a paper on the Church's work abroad for a missionary conference. He believed in missions, of course, but he started work with the conviction that the American Church ought to give most of its energy and most of its money to domestic missions. As he read, studied and thought,. his position changed, and the paper urged that the Church's emphasis should be laid upon the work among needy peoples in distant lands.

T

HE mission to the Araucanian Indians of Southern Chile was started over ten years ago as the Jubilee Mission of the South American Missionary Society of Great Britain. These Indians, who call themselves Mapuches, i.e., people of the country, have a most interesting history. Brought under the rule of Peru in the middle of the fifteenth century, they learned many useful arts from their conquerors. A hundred years later the Spaniards crossed the great Atacama desert and made their first entry into Chile. From this time on perpetual war raged in the country, the Spaniards continually breaking their promises and either making slaves of their captives and treating them with the utmost

cruelty, or torturing them to death. Even after the country became a republic these Indians still retained their independence south of the river Bio Bio.

At the close of the late Peruvian war the Chilenos turned their victorious troops south and by the aid of the rifle finally subdued their brave opponents. Since that time peace has reigned, towns and villages have sprung up and the Indians are now living on friendly and sociable terms with the Spanish-speaking populace. In front of many a ruca (hut) may be seen an ancient bamboo spear, ten or twelve feet long, which has done duty in numerous battles, and the old Indians tell stirring tales of the brave deeds of their ancestors.

The Mapuches are an agricultural peo

ple and the wealthy possess many horses, cattle and flocks of sheep. They are kindly and courteous, brave and generous, but the drink of the white man is their ruin. An Indian will go to the nearest town, spend all his money, mortgage his crops, and even pawn part of his clothing, for the much-coveted aguardiente (fire water).

Their huts, called "rucas," are built of bamboo and thatched, an entrance being left at one end. When more than one fire is seen down the centre of the hut on its mud floor, it is a sign that the owner has more than one wife. In this way each wife is "mistress of her own fireside." Their beautifully-colored ponchos, rugs and blankets are all woven by the women from sheep's wool in the most primitive way and their pots and bowls are made from clay or wood. They believe in an unseen God whom they call Chao (father), and have never worshipped idols. At certain seasons of the year sheep are offered in sacrifice and the blood poured out on the ground.

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The South American Missionary Society has at present two stations for work among these people, one on the banks of the river Quepe, and the other some thirty miles away in a small town called Cholchol. At both these centres there are schools. At the Quepe over 100 boys were entered last year and twenty-seven girls, the work among the girls having been but recently started. As the mission property now consists of a large tract of land on either side of the riverpart of this land having been a grant from the Chilean government-the work is largely industrial, the boys spending half the day at their books and the other half at carpentry, bee-keeping, gardening, etc. At the Cholchol primary school 175 scholars were enrolled last year, a few girls having also been taken in for the first time.

The results of the work have been most encouraging. Two of the most powerful and influential chiefs have become Christians, and through their influence the Indians gladly send their children to the schools. The great idea is to train many